Using the Visual FoxPro Project Manager

You can display the Visual FoxPro Project Manager by selecting the Project Manager option on the VPM Enterprise Tools menu or by clicking the Project Manager button on the VPME toolbar.

Tip: Whenever you build your application, new application objects that you have created through the Object Builder are added to the Visual FoxPro Project Manager. So, if an application object you have created doesn’t appear in the Project Manager, click the Build Application button on the Object Builder.

Create and Modify Application Objects

Feel free to use the Project Manager to create and modify application objects (forms, programs, reports, labels and queries).

Caution: Generally, to use the Visual FoxPro Project Manager with VPM Enterprise, you should run it from within VPM, not from Visual FoxPro itself. If you try using the Project Manager directly from Visual FoxPro, you will not be able to use the VPM Enterprise Builders and other VPME features. The VPME Builders and other features depend on variables and properties that are created when VPME is run. See the "Classes" exception in the next section.

Classes

The Project Manager can be a convenient place to view classes.

Tip – Exit to FoxPro: If you want to use the Project Manager to create and modify classes, exit to Visual FoxPro and open the Project Manger. This will prevent classes that are subclasses of VPME classes from becoming subclasses of the classes of the same name that are used by VPME itself.

However, it is OK to create and modify classes in the Class Browser in VPM.

Form and Control Builders

When you create or modify a form via the Project Manager, the VPM Enterprise Form and Control Builders are available for your use just as they are when you work through the Object Builder.

Data

You will notice that VPM Enterprise does not add your application’s data to the Visual FoxPro Project Manager. That’s because the VPM Enterprise Data Builder provides many important and necessary items that the Visual FoxPro Project Manager doesn’t provide. Therefore, use the VPM Enterprise Data Builder to manage data, not the Visual FoxPro Project Manager.

Benefits of the Object Builder

If you use the Visual FoxPro Project Manager instead of the Object Builder to create and modify Application Objects, you do lose the following benefits of the Object Builder:

·       Organization: You lose the benefit of the Object Builder’s organization of Application Objects. The Object Builder makes it easy to see how Application Objects are related. The Project Manager only lists Application Objects by type. The Project Manager doesn’t show how Application Objects are related.

   The organization benefit of the Object Builder should not be dismissed lightly. It’s very important for ongoing application maintenance. For example, the ProMatrix Corporation provides systems consulting services. We are frequently asked to assist our clients with ProMatrix applications. When a client sends us a ProMatrix application, we can immediately see how all parts of the application are related if the client has used the Object Builder correctly. That saves us time and our client money.

   When you must update a VPM Enterprise application that you worked on many months ago, you’ll appreciate how the Object Builder documents the organization of the application. The Object Builder will help you quickly remember how the pieces of the application work together. That will save you time and money.

·       Menu Commands: If you initially create a Menu Object through the Object Builder, VPM Enterprise will automatically create the appropriate menu command and insert it in the menu table. However, if you create a Menu Object through the Visual FoxPro Project Manager, you must later manually create the menu option and command through the VPM Enterprise Menu Builder.

Tip: Create all Menu Objects through the Object Builder. You can then modify them through the Project Manager if you like.

The Object Builder provides other more minor benefits over the Project Manager. However, feel free to use the Visual FoxPro Project Manager instead of the Object Builder if you prefer the Project Manager interface.

 

More:

Building Messages